A Co Armagh bakery has landed a deal to supply a range of muffins to supermarket giant Asda.

Portadown-based Irwin's Bakery will now sell its Extra Special Muffins to 280 stores.

It has developed a range of the breads - including buttermilk, mild red Cheddar and ancient grain varieties - in order to meet growing demand.

Chris Moore, national account manager at Irwin's Bakery, said: "The bakery landscape is changing - at two ends of the scale are health and indulgence when it comes to motivators for purchase in the sector.

"We worked with Asda to respond to these consumer needs when developing the range. The buttermilk and mild red Cheddar muffins give consumers a taste of indulgence, while the ancient grain muffins are baked with a blend of seeds such as linseed and millet and provide a natural source of protein.

"In addition we have seen from customer research that GB shoppers are looking for a wider range of products - traditionally eaten at breakfast time - which can be eaten at other times. The Extra Special muffins are perfect for toasting but can also be used for sandwiches at lunchtime."

Brian Conway, Asda's regional buying manager for Northern Ireland, said: "Working together we have created the new range of Asda Extra Special muffins in direct response to what our customers want.

"Irwin's has always been a firm favourite in our Northern Ireland stores and I'm sure the new muffins will prove extremely popular with shoppers across the UK."